Agency Zone
Resources for our partners.
Ordering food from The Idaho Foodbank (IFB) is done on an appointment basis. Your agency is assigned standing appointment(s). Partner agencies will also adhere to “ordering windows” set forth by IFB and will be based on the weekday your standing appointments.
Ordering windows open 4 business days before your scheduled appointment and will close 2 business days before. This is to allow The IFB to process and pick orders. If you miss your ordering window, please contact your partner specialist to discuss options.
For any rescheduling needs and/or questions, please contact your partner specialist.
Monthly reporting is a requirement of partnering with the IFB. Monthly reports track essential statistics such as people served which The IFB uses to track and report food distribution.
Monthly reports open on the 1st of each month for the previous month. Ex: January’s report will open on February 1 and should be submitted by February 5.
Monthly reporting can be found under the “Report” tab on Agency Express.
Continued failure to submit monthly reports may result in a hold on your ordering abilities.
Please contact your partner specialist for any questions regarding Agency Express or submitting monthly reports.
Food Pantry
A food pantry partnership is extended to community organizations that source food from IFB and their local community. IFB can support up to 50% of food for a pantry. The food IFB provides can be dry, refrigerated, frozen, and/or fresh produce. Food pantries have access to the IFB shopping list and distribute food to neighbors facing food insecurity. These partners must have 501(c)(3) IRS status.
- Partner Manual
- Partnership Agreement
- Partner Grievance Form
- Temperature Logs
Feeding Site
A feeding site partnership is extended to organizations that prepare ready-to-eat meals for food-insecure neighbors. These organizations have kitchens that are inspected by the local health department and can repackage food, as necessary. A Feeding Site must have 501(c)3 IRS status.
Mobile Pantry
The Mobile Pantry Program distributes dry and frozen food to underserved, usually, rural, communities. This program helps populations that do not have access to or have difficulty accessing food assistance.
Backpack Program
The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program ensures that students who are chronically hungry have access to adequate food over the weekend by providing them with a backpack full of nutritious, kid-friendly food every Friday during the school year.
School Pantry
The School Pantry Programs provides families with food through a pantry set up inside the schools where access would be convenient for students and families alike.
Nutrition Education
The Idaho Foodbank utilizes the Cooking Matters program which teaches a variety of skills ranging from working with low-income neighbors on how to budget at the grocery store to learning how to cook nutritious meals. The Nutrition Education program also utilizes tools such as The NEFPAT (Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool) which assesses the nutritional value of food pantries to ensure neighbors are receiving a well-balanced diet.
CSFP/Senior Nutrition
To ensure older adults do not have to choose between paying for health and groceries, The Idaho Foodbank provides food boxes that require minimal preparation to older adults. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) improves the health of low-income seniors at least 60 years of age, by adding nutritious food to their diets. Eligible Idaho seniors receive a free monthly food box that includes nutrition information and helpful recipes.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
In partnership with the USDA and Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, the Foodbank distributes federal commodities to partners in over 22 counties. The Emergency Food Assistance Program helps supplement the diets of Idahoans who are low-income, including the elderly, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost.
Power of Purchase Program (POPP)
The Power of Purchase Program is a collaborative purchasing opportunity for IFB’s partners. The Idaho Foodbank purchases key items such as canned meats, canned fruit, dry pasta, pasta sauce, and peanut butter, as well as many other items at a quantity discount. We then make these items available to participating partners at significant cost savings compared to retail. By ordering in truckload, quantities of single or mixed items, IFB can negotiate pricing directly with vendors and/or distributors and allows us to take advantage of full truckload freight rates. Participation in POPP is optional for partners.
Food Rescue
Food Rescue is a partnership with grocers statewide that provides an opportunity for The Idaho Foodbank and our pantry partners to quickly distribute nutritious and often perishable food to our neighbors in need, while preventing unnecessary waste. It’s a win-win-win collaboration that makes sense for businesses, the environment, and hunger relief efforts.
Food Safety
The Idaho Foodbank recognizes food safety as a top priority for the neighbors we serve. As a partner of The Idaho Foodbank, a commitment to food safety is essential to a safe and successful operation.
Grants
A “grant” is a general term for money awarded to organizations or people that is not expected to be paid back. Each grant has its own unique requirements, but the generalized process involves an interested party applying and the grant committee evaluating candidates based on certain criteria. Money awarded from grants often has guidelines about how money can be spent. Grant resources can be found below:
Grants are money you can apply for to go towards a variety of needs/causes.